Nut-lock.



D. JOHNSON.

NUT LOCK.

APPLICATION TILED ma, 222222 0.

970,505. Patented Sept 20,1910.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL JOHNSON, OF COLUMBUS GROVE, OHIO.

NUT-LOCK.

1 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL JoiINsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Columbus Grove, in the county of Putnam and State of Ohio,have invented a new and useful Nut-Lock, of which the following is aspecification.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improved locknut which will possess the advantage of being applicable to any ordinarybolt and will effectually automatically lock thereon to prevent backwardrotation.

One aim of the invention is to construct the nut that none of thelocking mechanism whatsoever will be exposed to view so that the nutwill present the same appearance as does the ordinary nut now in commonuse, but will possess all the advantages of a device of this character.

The invention aims further to so construct the nut that it will not benecessary to employ an implement of any character whatsoever in securinga lock between the nut and the bolt, except of course, the use of theordinary wrench in fitting the nut upon the bolt.

In the accompanying drawings,--Figure 1 is a transverse verticalsectional view through a nut constructed in accordance with the presentinvention. Fi 2 is a vertical sectional view taken in a plane at rightangles to the plane of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view ofthe pawl of the locking mechanism of the nut. Fig. 4 is a perspectiveView of the spring for the pawl.

In the drawings, the nut is indicated by the numeral 5 and is formedwith the usual bolt opening 6 threaded in the usual manner. The nut isalso formed with a bore 7 which opens through one side face of the nutand extends in the direction of the opposite side face thereof andparallel to the plane of the adjacent intermediate side face. It will beobserved that at a point between its ends, the bore 7 opens into thebolt opening 6 of the nut, as indicated by the numeral 8.

In the closed end of the bore 7 and more specifically speaking, in thatportion of the said bore between its extreme closed end and itsintermediate open part 8, there is disposed a pawl, which is indicatedby the numeral 9, and is preferably of hardened steel or at least of aquality of steel or iron of a higher degree of hardness than the boltSpecification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 22, 1910.

Patented Sept. 20, 1910. Serial No. 550,941.

upon which the nut is to be fitted. One side of this pawl is flattened,as at 10, as is also the opposite side, as indicated by the numeral 11,this latter side being, however, shouldered, as at 12. The two flattenedsides 10 and 11 are in planes which converge from the butt end of thepawl, which end is its lower end in Fig. 3 of the drawings. As a result,the pawl is tapered in the direction of its upper end, and asillustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, its said end is beveled,as at 13, so as to afiord a sharp biting edge 14.

It will be observed from the drawings that the butt end of the pawl andalso the lower closed end of the bore are respectively convex andconcave so that the pawl may have slight rocking movement in the boreand the pawl is of such length that when rocked to assume the positionillustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawings, which is its normal position, itsbiting end 14: will project slightly into the bolt opening 8 of the nutso that its said end will be in position for engagement with the threadsof the bolt upon which the nut is to be fitted.

In order to hold the pawl in the position illustrated in Fig. 1 of thedrawings so that it will have yielding engagement with the threads ofthe bolt upon which the nut is to be fitted, there is provided a leafsprin which is indicated by the numeral 15 an is fiat throughout themajor portion of its length although one end is transversely curved, asat 16, for the engagement of a plug 17 which is to be driven into theopen end of the bore for the insertion of the spring therein. It will beobserved that the intermediate portion of the spring is bent, as at 18,so that its convex side will rest against one side of the bore in thenut, and so its free end, indicated by the numeral 10, will project awayfrom the said side of the bore. This free end, however, seats in therecessed part of the pawl affording the shoulder 12 so that, as will bereadily understood, when the threads of the bolt come into engagementwith the biting end 14 of the pawl, the pawl will be rocked over towardthe side of the bore against which its bent and intermediate portionsbear, the result being that the spring is flattened to a greater or lessdegree. This occurs when the nut is being threaded upon the bolt, and itwill be readily understood that should an attempt be made to backwardlyrotate the nut upon the bolt, the biting edge 14 of the pawl will dig orbite into the threads of the bolt so as to hold the nut firmly againstsuch backward rotation.

What is claimed is:

1. A look nut formed with a bore opening between its ends into the boltopening of the nut, a pawl seated in the closed end of the bore andhaving a biting edge projecting into the bolt opening, a spring fittedinto the bore and secured at one end therein and bearing between itsends against one side of the wall of the bore and at its free endprojecting away from the said side of the wall of the bore and bearingagainst the pawl.

2 A lock nut formed with a bolt opening and with a bore opening betweenits ends into the bolt opening, a pawl fitted in the bore at the closedend thereof and having a convex butt end whereby to adapt it to rock inthe bore, the tip end .of the pawl projecting into the bolt opening ofthe nut, and a spring disposed in the bore and having an end bearingagainst the pawl.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

- DAN. JOHNSON.

WVitnesses:

D. M. ALLEN, ALTA EVANS.

